This document sets out Kind Learning Academy (KLA) policy and procedures to provide learners with the information required to formally apply for reasonable adjustments, consideration of extenuating circumstances or special considerations.

1. Our Aims
2. Reasonable Adjustments
3. Special Considerations
4. Extenuating Circumstances
5. Criteria for Submitting a claim for Extenuating Circumstances
6. Submitting a claim for Extenuating Circumstances
7. Deadline for submitting claims for Extenuating Circumstances
8. Guidance on Evidence Required to Support Extenuating Circumstances
9. Circumstances
10. Possible outcomes of an Extenuating Circumstances claim
11. Consideration of claims for Extenuating Circumstances

---

1. Our Aims

1.1. During the course of their learning, learners might be faced with illness, unforeseen events and personal issues that are outside the control of learners, and which could negatively affect their ability to complete a course of learning, or impact their performance in an assessment.

1.2. Kind Learning Academy aims to:

• Treat all learners equally and fairly in the consideration of their extenuating circumstances;
• Provide learners with a consistent experience of the extenuating circumstances process;
• Deal with any requests in a timely manner.

---

2. Reasonable Adjustments

2.1. Reasonable adjustments are changes made to an assessment to minimise the effect of a disability on the learner’s performance. Reasonable adjustments can also be made for long-term chronic conditions and religious observance.

2.2. Reasonable adjustments are approved by Kind Learning Academy before an assessment or submission date. Reasonable adjustments include but are not limited to:

• Allocating extra time during to a learner for an examination;
• Providing modified documentation e.g., documents in braille or large print;
• Changing an assessment date e.g., to allow for religious observance or medical appointments.

2.3. Applications for Reasonable Adjustment must be received within 3 months of learners enrolling on a course, or 1 month from the time the condition requiring the Reasonable Adjustment occurred. Applications are made to the Kind Learning Academy via email to the Quality Manager. Supporting evidence such as a GP letter, physiotherapy letter or medical certificate should be provided with the application.

---

3. Special considerations

3.2. Special considerations are different to reasonable adjustments as they apply to a disadvantage that occurs to the learner during the assessment.

3.3. Applications for Special Considerations Adjustment must be received within 7 days of the affected assessment. Applications are made to the Kind Learning Academy via email to the Quality Manager. Supporting evidence should be provided with the application.

3.4. Kind Learning Academy may apply special considerations without application from the learner where appropriate.

---

4. Extenuating Circumstances

4.1 Kind Learning Academy considers an extenuating circumstance to be an unforeseen serious or major event which is beyond the learner’s control, that might have a significant and adverse effect on their ability to complete a course, or affect their performance in the assessment.

4.2. Disabilities and ongoing conditions that affect learner are dealt with under Reasonable Adjustments. Please see the ‘Reasonable adjustments’ section. Kind Learning Academy will make accommodations to mitigate the effect on individuals of disabilities and ongoing conditions. Where allowance has been made for such a condition, a further allowance will not be made through the consideration of extenuating circumstances except as described.

4.3. Some learners affected by ongoing conditions may encounter specific difficulties related to their condition, that impact their completion of a course. Such circumstances may be legitimately considered as meeting the definition of extenuating circumstances. For example, a learner who suffers from a long-term illness, e.g. Multiple Sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis, or Crohn’s disease, may or may not need constant Reasonable Adjustments in order to undertake any Kind Learning Academy learning, but if they had a ‘flare-up’ immediately prior to their assessment, this may be considered under the Extenuating Circumstances procedures.

4.4. In such situations Kind Learning Academy will need to receive information concerning any Reasonable Adjustments that are in place. This is to ensure that no learner will receive double allowances.

---

5. Criteria for Submitting a claim for Extenuating Circumstances

5.1. The claim submitted should demonstrate that the event meets the following criteria:

Beyond the control of the learner

• The learner must demonstrate that they could not have done anything to prevent the circumstances arising; that they were unforeseen and unpreventable.

Have timely relevance

• Typically the circumstances must have occurred after the course began, and be long term enough to present a significant obstacle to the learner’s ability to make up the missed time and complete the course on schedule.

Evidence accepted by Kind Learning Academy

• For example, GP letter, physiotherapy letter, medical or death certificate, police/emergency services report, employer’s letter.

---

6. Submitting a claim for Extenuating Circumstances

6.1. Learners must notify Kind Learning Academy of Extenuating Circumstances by writing an Extenuating Circumstances Application, and emailing it to the Quality Manager. The letter should describe the extenuating circumstances, and supporting evidence should be provided. Information concerning any Reasonable Adjustments that may be in place, should also be provided.

6.2. Learners should include as much detail as possible in their application to explain how their assessment performance will be, or was, affected. Only the information and supporting evidence which the learner provides will be considered, and the learner will not generally be asked for further evidence.

---

7. Deadline for submitting claims for Extenuating Circumstances

7.1. Applications for the consideration of extenuating circumstances must be received no later than 7 days after the unforeseen event.

---

8. Guidance on Evidence Required to Support Extenuating Circumstances

8.1. The following are examples of the kinds of circumstances that would normally be considered acceptable extenuating circumstances, with information on what evidence would be required in each case. This list of required evidence is provided as a guide and is not exhaustive. Each application will be assessed on its own merits, and will consider the specific circumstances and evidence presented in each case.

8.2. Kind Learning Academy recognises that it can be difficult to disclose sensitive, personal information to other parties. As such, please note that all documentation provided in support of an application will be treated confidentially.

---

9. Circumstances

Serious illness

9.1. Please provide details of the illness, the impact the illness has on completing the course, and the dates concerned. Minor illnesses such as colds, sore throats, headaches, digestive problems etc. would not normally be acceptable grounds.

9.2. Kind Learning Academy requires a confirmed diagnosis by a registered doctor specifying the nature of the illness in writing. If currently undergoing assessment and no diagnosis has been reached, then documentation by a registered doctor specifying symptoms will be considered.

Long-standing medical condition or disability

9.3. The learner must provide details of the diagnosed condition that is normally supported through reasonable adjustments (access arrangements), but flares up unexpectedly, and the reasonable adjustments are not sufficient to make it possible to complete the course on schedule. Or a previously undiagnosed/recently diagnosed condition that prevents the learner from completing the course on schedule.

9.4. Kind Learning Academy requires a confirmed diagnosis by a registered doctor specifying the nature of the illness. Letters stating that the learner informed them that they were unwell will not be accepted.

---

Hospitalisation

9.5. There should be confirmation of the illness, the impact the illness has on completing the course, and the dates in question.

9.6. Evidence should be provided on an original medical certificate/letter.

---

Serious illness or death of a member of the learner’s immediate family (e.g. parent, sibling, child, grandparent, spouse, guardian)

9.7. Where a learner’s immediate family member has a serious illness, independent confirmation of both the illness and how the illness affected the learner’s assessment(s) should be provided. A diagnosis of the family member is not required, specifying symptoms will be considered. It is more important that Kind Learning Academy receives independent confirmation of the effect of the situation on course completion.

9.8. Kind Learning Academy requires a  medical report from a qualified medical practitioner or a copy of a death certificate, coroner’s report, letter from medical professional. This should be accompanied, if necessary, by formal documentation confirming the learner’s relationship with deceased. Whilst a death certificate is a sensitive and often difficult document to obtain it is required to prevent fraudulent claims. Other relationships may be considered subject to there being sufficient evidence of the closeness and impact.

9.9. The learner must provide confirmation of the circumstances, the impact these had on the affected assessment(s) and the dates concerned. This can include a whole range of issues, such as separation from spouse/partner, conflict with others, caring duties that couldn’t be done by anyone else, etc.

9.10. Kind Learning Academy requires a report from a suitable qualified professional such as a GP or counsellor.

---

9.11. The requirements for illness, hospitalisation etc. should be followed, if there is a specific incident during pregnancy.

9.12. Kind Learning Academy requires a GP or hospital letter.

---

Assessment Centre related issue

9.13. Where the learner experienced disruption that caused significant impact to the their exam performance such as:

• Significant noise;
• Disruption during the examination;
• Significant environmental impact, e.g., heating/lighting;

9.14. Kind Learning Academy will consider the Invigilator Report.

---

Victim of Crime

9.15. Kind Learning Academy requires details of the crime, along with a Police report (including a crime reference number). If the incident has resulted in the learner seeking medical attention, then the requirements for illness should be followed.

---

Legal proceedings requiring attendance at court as a witness or jury service

9.16. Kind Learning Academy requires documentary evidence from the court or a solicitor including the dates of the legal proceedings and the requirement for the learner to attend.

---

Road Traffic Incident

9.17. If the learner has been involved in a road traffic incident, either as a passenger or as the driver, Kind Kind Learning Academy requires details of the:

• Time and place that the incident occurred;
• Police report (including a crime reference number);
• Insurance reference number/record of the event

---

10. Possible outcomes of an Extenuating Circumstances claim

Kind Learning Academy may

• Postpone the examination or submission date by a maximum of one calendar year;

• Allow the submission of late work.

---

11. Consideration of claims for Extenuating Circumstances

11.1. Learners who have applied for extenuating circumstances will be informed within 10 working days as to the outcome of their application.

11.2. Claims are assessed by the Quality Manager. Claims that are inappropriate or do not have sufficient evidence to substantiate them will be rejected.

11.3. If a learner wishes to appeal the decision, they should follow the Learner Appeals process.